[intro music] HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's   New Wave of Storytellers.

Hi.

Welcome to HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

I'm Myla  Kane, an eighth grader at ‘Ewa Makai Middle   School on O‘ahu.

Thanks for joining us to watch  the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

In this episode, we’ll meet a young  magician from O‘ahu who has performed   on stages as far away as Las Vegas, and  a brave student from Hawai‘i Island who   found strength through her love of  biking during tough medical times.

We’ll also introduce you to  a legendary wahine paniolo   who shares her deep connection to Hawaiian  cowboy culture and explore the therapeutic   magic of miniature horses in a unique  program for special needs children.

There’s so much more to discover, so stay tuned.

We’ve got an exciting lineup of stories today  that will inspire, amaze, and warm your heart.

Let’s kick things off with a bit of magic,  literally.

Our first story introduces a   young magician whose talents have graced  stages in Hawai‘i and even the bright   lights of Las Vegas.

This enchanting  piece was produced by Ryan Alacar,   a talented high student from  Campbell High School on O‘ahu.

Magic is who I am, and I try every day to be  that, to embody that magic that I embody in   my head.

My name is Landon Espiritu and  I’ve been doing magic for nine years.

Please welcome seven-year-old  Landon “The Magnificent.” [applause] Landon started performing  magic at just seven years old,   eventually being able to  perform even in Las Vegas.

When I first hopped onto the Hawai‘i magic scene,   I think it was seven.

One of my first  big performances was at Kaimuki High   School for Hawai‘i Magic Festival.

I ended up  performing in Vegas around the beginning of 2020.

Through Vegas, Landon got a lot of  recognition as a young magician from O‘ahu.

I went to perform in Las Vegas at the  Golden Nugget for a magic convention.

I couldn't believe it.

Like, going to  Vegas is like wanting to be an actor   and going to Hollywood.

It was a  big deal for me.

And after that,   I got back, we put everything away,  and I never really picked it back up.

At the peak of Landon's success,  he took a break from magic.

I took a break from magic around 2020.

I  had this break for probably, like a year,   like, it was more like four years.

I haven't done really any magic.

Very simple, very simple game.

Recently, Landon has started to practice  magic again with a new perspective.

For the past two years, I've been going back  into magic slowly.

I was reintroduced by some   connections that I have at this school.

So, when I  picked it back up, it was just remembering how to   perform, which, you know, when I think about it,  is one of the biggest parts of why I love it.

And   for me, having to relearn how to be me on stage  again was and is a process.

It's tough because you   feel like, man, I used to be so good at this.

Why can’t I just flow into it?

But, you know,   I learned a lot.

I learned a lot in the past  four years, whether or not I've been performing.

See that?

Through this long break, Landon is  planning to come back better than ever,   preparing to perform at Hawai‘i  Magic Festival in December 2024.

I'm still working up to get to this show.

This  is the first time I've performed in Hawai‘i Magic   Festival for four or five years.

But I have to  just trust in myself and the people around me   that I can create something beyond me.

I think  it's a process that I have to trust, and then I   have to jump in headfirst.

I think I've been stuck  in my mind for so long about performing.

You know,   everything has just been in my head or on paper,  and I've been overcoming it by just doing it.

I   know I could be somewhere great, and, I,  when I close my eyes, I hear the applause.

This is Ryan Alacar from James Campbell  High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] From the thrill of magic, we head to Hawai‘i  Island to meet a remarkable student with a   passion for biking.

Hayden Betts, an eighth-grade  student at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy Middle   School on Hawai‘i Island, shares how her love for  riding helped her overcome challenging medical   struggles.

Her story is sure to inspire anyone  who has faced obstacles in their own lives.

I'm Hayden Betts, an eighth grader at Hawai‘i  Preparatory Academy on the Big Island.

Ever since   I was young, I've loved riding bikes.

It gave  me a sense of freedom and relief from whenever   I was stressed.

It has always been a part of me,  even when I didn't realize it.

I have fibular   hemimelia, meaning that my left leg is shorter  than my right leg.

Riding bikes has been an   escape from life problems, and sometimes made  me forget I was disabled in the first place.

[laughter] Push the button.

However, when I was 10, I had to get a  surgery on my right leg to slow down the   growth so my left leg could eventually catch  up.

This caused me to go into a wheelchair,   and it was a difficult change.

It not  only stopped me from doing what I loved,   but it stopped me from doing things I  could normally do with ease like going to   school and getting to run around the house.

However, I wasn't in a wheelchair for long,   though, and I eventually started to heal.

I  could go back to how things originally were.

I wanted to try riding my  bike again, but when I did,   it was painful, and I couldn't do  it.

I wanted to give up immediately,   but I knew that I couldn't give up on something  I love so much.

I didn't want to feel trapped and   lose that freedom I once had.

So, I decided  to keep healing until I could try again.

My parents got me into physical therapy  to help me readjust.

It was difficult,   but it helped me a lot.

After some more  trial and error, I could eventually ride   again.

I was a little rusty, but that was  alright.

I was just happy I could do it.

Okay, be careful.

[insects chirp] A couple years later, I now ride often with my  family, and I feel more connected to them and   myself.

I now care about the little things that  may seem meaningless yet matter the most.

From   dealing with my surgery to finding my freedom once  more, riding my bike has made me my best self.

Let's stay on Hawai‘i Island  for this next profile story,   which was produced by students at Konawaena  High School.

They bring us the story of a   legendary Hawaiian cowgirl who opens up about  her incredible history and deep bond with horses.

I began riding as a two-year-old.

My  babysitter was not a human.

It was a horse.

Fern White is an authentic cowgirl who  grew up on Maui and currently operates   a ranch with her husband in Kohala, on the  Big Island of Hawai‘i.

Her horses have been   featured in several movies, most recently in  the 2022 movie, The Wind and the Reckoning.

I grew up on a working ranch, one  of the largest still in our state,   called Ulu Palakua, and on that ranch, a  typical day in my growing up, which is the 50s,   horses was an actual four legged animal, and  that's what you rode to go and check pastures,   to check the water lines, to check how  the health of the cattle, what they were   for that day, to move them around.

And  that would be a typical day back then.

At 14, Fern was the first Hawai‘i rodeo barrel  race champion.

She was also Miss Maui in 1968   and Pā‘ū Queen several times.

Her experiences  gave her a unique view of paniolo culture.

The   ranchers of old, they're not going to say,  “I was a paniolo.” They're going to say,   “I cowboy.

I cowboy.” Right?

Women will say it,  guys will say it.

I cowboy.

When we say paniolo,   I know that the meaning for  people means the cowboy culture.

So, with that in mind, the importance of  perpetuating that is because it represents   several things, is, the connection to  land, and the connection to food source.

But the importance of preserving the paniolo  culture, as you guys call it paniolo culture,   the cowboy culture, is to preserve what it means  to have grit, and caring, and that is at its core.

Fern began teaching horsemanship  at age 16.

Her teaching process   stems from the values and disciplines  associated with cowboy traditions.

A lot of times, process for other people is okay,  I'll show you a little bit now.

You just go,   you can go play, you can compete,  you can do whatever.

I am very much   about foundation.

Foundation first, basic  understanding, caring for, uh, and safety.

Fern runs the therapeutic riding program,   Lio Lapa‘au.

She believes horses  can regulate our emotions.

And my students can attest to this.

Right,  they had a rough day at school.

They have a   rough day in life.

They're home, or whatever  that is.

And so now they come.

That horse   is going to have a whole different  reaction, behavior, response, right?

And most of the time, you'll find that  horse like, put its head somewhere,   sometime in your lap.

Now if you go in  and you get that horse and you think   you ʻall that,ʻ a horse will show you, “Hey,  whoa.

What, you all that?

I don't think so.” Fern is deeply connected to the cowgirl lifestyle,   not just as a way of life, but also as  a source of healing and personal growth.

I’ve always known that the horse can help us  survive the world, that I can turn to a horse,   get on its back, ride for 5, 10  minutes, and the world's okay again.

This is Georgia Sandberg from Konawaena  High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] In this special piece from our archives,  students from Kainalu Elementary School   on windward O‘ahu highlight the therapeutic  magic of miniature horses.

This traveling   program for special needs children  will leave you smiling and uplifted.

The Therapeutic Horsemanship of  Hawai‘i is a program that allows   children with special needs  to interact with mini horses.

[laughter] The mini horses, Geronimo and Makakoa,   provide comfort and affection.

They bring  happiness and relaxation to children.

Also,   the children are not afraid to express  their feelings towards the mini horses.

He's soft and fuzzy.

Those miniature horses, which are  the most kind and generous little   creatures I've ever met, they're  not very much like other horses.

They're very, very mellow.

We put them in a  minivan, and we take them to public schools,   special ed programs.

We take them to  hospitals, long term care centers.

We take them anywhere where there's people  who can't afford to be around horses,   or people who physically can't come to be  around horses, and they have been in elevators.

They've gone up and down stairs.

They have gone  amongst wheelchairs all piled together to visit   people.

And they are so kind, and they're  so neat.

And we just started this program,   so it's a new job for them, and they're really  taking to it really well.

So, they've been the   new superstars, and it's been really exciting  for all of us to launch this new program.

The mini horses are transported in a minivan  to their home in Waimanalo.

The Therapeutic   Horsemanship Ranch is located next to the polo  field with the beautiful Ko‘olau mountain range   in the background.

We saw Geronimo and  other horses at the ranch.

Riding lessons   are available to the general public.

Children  with special needs can take lessons as well.

We teach horse care.

Most of our riders will spend  at least a little bit of time grooming the horses,   brushing them, getting them ready to go.

They'll  learn how to saddle.

If they also volunteer here,   they learn the ins and outs  of the daily care of horses.

I think the biggest thing that they  learn here is that horses are wonderful,   giving creatures, and that being around  them can really give you confidence   in yourself and confidence in others  and confidence in the horses as well.

I would say I would just highly  recommend Therapeutic Horsemanship,   especially for families that may have  children with disabilities and sensory issues.

Riders learn to ride by  utilizing various muscle groups,   which stimulates learning and most  of all, the riders learn to have fun.

I feel good because my heart fills up with joy.

This is Keona Peters from Kainalu  Elementary School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] Have you ever wondered what it takes to saddle  up a horse?

Students from Hawai‘i Preparatory   Academy Middle School on Hawai‘i Island have  you covered.

In this memorable How-To video,   they share expert tips for setting up a  saddle.

Whether you're a beginner or a pro,   you might just learn something new.

Did you know that in rodeo, there are  different saddles for different events?

Putting on your saddle correctly is important  and vital for competing safely and efficiently.

First thing’s first, tie your horse  to the trailer using a slip knot.

Then, go and get your pad… and your saddle.

The   next thing you want to do is reach  under the horse and grab the cinch.

String the latigo through the buckle on the cinch,   and then string it through the saddle and  back once more.

Hook the latigo onto the   buckle so that the saddle doesn't move.

Reach  under the horse and grab the back cinch,   then buckle it to the leather strap.

Reach around  the front of the horse and grab the breast collar.

String the leather strap through the  metal ring on the front of the saddle,   then buckle the strap to the buckle.

Clip the  strap to the ring on the cinch.

The paniolo,   or the Hawaiian cowboys, are greatly known  all over the world, especially with the fame   and talent of Waimea very own Ikua Purdy, who, in  1908 won the World Steer Roping Championships in   Cheyenne, Wyoming.

This is Lia Craven from  Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] Now, let's visit the campus of E.B.

deSilva  Elementary School on the Big Island,   where students have a special did you  know video to share.

They dive into   the mystery behind their school's unique namesake.

Hi, I'm Cadence Christensen from Ernest Bowen  deSilva Elementary School.

Do you know how our   school got its name?

Our school was going to be  named ‘Ainakoa Elementary, but while the school   was being built, Ernest Bowen deSilva suddenly  died, and the school was renamed after him.

Ernest Silva is my grandfather.

He was born in  1900 in Honolulu, and he died in 1959.

He was   an educator.

He was a principal in Konawaena High  School, and in 1942, they came over, and he was   involved in a lot of things, but education was  very important to him.

He was also a musician.

Mr. deSilva became a district superintendent   and was also a popular sportsman  and a respected community leader.

Ernest B. deSilva was my uncle.

He was my father's  brother, and I have a feeling he'd think that   would be a perfect day here, just to see the kids  thriving in a school named after him.

This is   Cadence Christensen from Ernest Bowen deSilva  Elementary School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Wai‘anae Intermediate School on O‘ahu produced  its next memorable story from our archives.

Meet a student who turned her life around,  moving from being a bully to pursuing higher,   more positive goals.

It's an inspiring  reminder of the power of change and growth.

I really didn't go to school.

I gave a lot of  attitude and I was rude to all my teachers,   and I fought a lot, not really  fight, but I used to bully people.

From a young age, Sosefina Matautia  was on the road to making poor choices.

I started cruising with the wrong people, and  they just influenced me to do a lot of bad stuff.

Bad influences bring bad results.

Like  most kids her age, Sose had problems,   but she didn't know how to deal  with them, so she acted out.

She would scream, cry, wreck the house.

When we would take her to school,   she would go crazy, you know.

She would  hit the teachers, scream, try run away.

She was running away from reality, because on  June 16, 2006 her father, Richard Matautia,   was critically injured when he was hit by a  car.

He died two days later on Father's Day.

It was devastating, hard.

I  had fear of leaving my mom,   and I was just afraid of losing somebody else.

Acting out is a common way for kids to  cope when they face trauma in their life,   and one big example is the death of a parent.

Since my dad was here, I  didn't really have guidance,   and I always used to look at my dad  to tell me what to do and not my mom.

[cheering] After six years on the wrong side of the road,   Sose decided it was time to steer  her life in a different direction.

Thank you.

So, she went from being completely defiant when  getting a consequence to now being able to admit   parts where she was wrong and then being able  to admit where she was wrong, but also receive   the consequence and not become angry like she  did in the very beginning of the school year.

I didn't like my image and my reputation.

I didn't  like the fact that people thought I was stupid,   because the way I acted.

My life is  different, like it's more better.

I   cruise with people that influence me to do  better things and bring out the better in me.

With the support of her family and  friends, Sose began to dream big.

I want to go to college.

I want to get my  master's degree, and I want to become a doctor.

It's a reflection of how her attitude has changed,   but now, instead of bullying people,  she's bullying her dreams.

This is   Lorraine Char reporting from Wai‘anae  Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ.

[ocean wave] This next student reflection comes  from Kili Correa, a student at Hawai‘i   Preparatory Academy Middle School on Hawai‘i  Island.

She shares her journey of learning   the traditional Hawaiian art of kapa  barkcloth making.

Believe it or not,   she started this journey back in the third grade.

Her passion and dedication will leave you in awe.

[speaks Hawaiian] I was eight years old when I first saw  kapa.

It was at my tutu’s birthday.

My   auntie gifted my tutu kapa that had taken her  seven years to make.

I was so mesmerized by   this Hawaiian art form and wanted to learn  how to do it, but I had no idea what it was.

I was never really close with my Hawaiian culture.

My parents would speak ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i to me and   would talk about Hawaiian history, but I  never found it interesting.

That was until   I saw kapa.

I thought it would be a great way to  get close and connect with my Hawaiian culture.

I was in the third grade when I wanted  to pursue my interest.

I had told my mom   about this interest, and she had heard  of a kapa hui hosted by Roen Hufford,   an award winning kapa artist and many other  kapa beaters.

They agreed to teaching me,   but it would take a lot of time, dedication, and  work, which was a struggle for a third grader.

Kapa is a traditional art form that  Native Hawaiians use as clothing, art,   and blankets.

Kapa is created from wauke, or  paper mulberry.

The first steps to making kapa   are stripping the wauke of its outer bark  and soaking it in water.

This makes the   wauke fermented and soft so that we can begin  the process of beating it.

We beat the kapa   with multiple beaters and on different surfaces so  that we can widen, stretch and thin out the wauke.

Once we are done beating, we lay out the  kapa to dry.

Once the kapa is fully dry,   we are able to begin the process of dyeing.

We dye  with all natural dyes that we create from plants,   berries, dirt, flowers and even sap.

The  designs on the kapa are intricate and   beautiful.

I started selling and participating  in shows.

I felt so accomplished that all my   hard work and dedication had paid off.

My  whole hui and my family were proud of me.

I just know eight-year-old me would be so  amazed and impressed by my growth.

Kapa has   taught me that everything takes time and  work.

I became closer and connected with   my Hawaiian culture because I feel like I'm  helping to keep a Hawaiian tradition alive.

[ocean wave] That's it for our show.

Thanks for joining us  to watch the impressive work of Hawai‘i's New   Wave of Storytellers.

Tune in after the credits  to see a special extra video with Summit and   Ivory Chun-Hoon playing a game called What's  in the Box.

Don't forget to follow HIKI NŌ on   PBS Hawai‘i on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more   at pbshawaii.org.

Tune in next week for more  proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

[outro music] [upbeat music] My name is Ivory Chun-Hoon and I go  to E.B.

deSilva Elementary School.

I'm Summit Chun-Hoon and I also go  to E.B.

deSilva Elementary School.

[music continues] We're gonna put our hands in this box  and we're gonna guess what's inside.

There's something sticking out.

Maybe it's a coconut.

Oh, that's a coconut?

[music continues] Teddy bear, or Elmo.

[ding] I know PBS Kids hosts Elmo, so I was  thinking it might have been Elmo in the eyes.

Rubik's Cube.

[ding] Pineapple.

[ding] [funky music] It's, wait, it's, it feels like  a book, but I don't think it is,   so, so it's like it's, I feel like it's a food.

Here, you hold it, and I'll pull it out.

Okay.

Wait, oh, wait, wait,  there's a hole in the middle.

Uh oh.

Uh oh.

Wait, I don't want to break.

Uh oh, I feel something inside of it.

Like it's   some kind of film inside of it,  maybe, like it's an old camera?

A cassette player?

It goes inside the cassette player.

Maybe it's called a cassette?

What is this?

I still haven’t, I don't know the name of it.

It’s for like, the old school TVs, right?

[ding] No, it goes in car, like an old  car, it would go in to play music.

It goes in the cars?

It doesn't have a radio, that's  why.

The old cars don't have radios.

Oh.

[upbeat music continues] Sunglasses.

[ding] [upbeat music continues] Slinky.

[upbeat music continues] Hey, where'd it go?

Oh, what?

Slime?

Play Doh.

Puddy.

Slime.

Play Doh.

Now I got alien finger.

[upbeat music continues] Oh, marshmallows.

[ding] Oh yeah.

I'm not gonna lick my hands because  I touched Play Doh.

Good game.

[music chimes]